On the surface: an ethnoarchaeological study of marginalised pottery production and the social context of pottery surface treatments in Tigray Regional State, northern highland Ethiopia

Abstract

Pottery surface treatments are considered essential to waterproofing and strengthening low-fired porous pots, and they add characteristic elements of colour and texture to pottery assemblages. However, surface treatments do not receive the same attention as other stages of pottery chaînes opératoires in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in terms of the social context of production, how technological treatments vary across an assemblage, contribute to flavour and address ecological concerns and ontological perspectives. This paper presents an ethnoarchaeological study of the continuum of potter and customer surface treatments that are applied to pots to specialise vessels for use in regional culinary practices in three sub-regions of Tigray Regional state in northern highland Ethiopia. The choice of surface treatments and their application methods may further protect consumers from the perceived dangers that society attributes to these marginalised artisans.